Sell you a Bridge chapter 86 (Patreon)

Tower of Fate August 19th 2010 8:00 PM EDT

Getting  everyone back down to the study seemed to take no time at all. With  potions (which the justice bros had almost as many of as we did) most of  them were back on their feet quickly. The only issue was that Artemis  had to stay with Kid Flash. Apparently his enhanced metabolism burned  through the potions too quickly for the magic to take hold. I wasn't  sure how that even worked but Artemis was far from upset at staying with  him. She stood guard over her boyfriend ferociously and while he  seemed...uncertain, he didn't push her away.

This  would be...complicated. I didn't see how it could end well. She  wouldn't tell him who she was, because that would make the rest of us  vulnerable, and she wouldn't make that decision, but I also know she  couldn't stay with him knowing they were lying to each other. She was  scared for him right now but I knew loyalty was going to push her to  break up with him. Loyalty and the fact that she couldn't trust anyone  with anything involved with her cape life. Her dad had royally fucked  that up for her. It would break her heart too because they were crazy  about each other.

Not  for the first time I wanted to knock Larry Crock's annoying teeth down  his throat. The only reason I didn't is because Artemis said he was  crazy prideful and if I started shit he would turn it into a vendetta  for sure. I'd eventually end up having to kill him and I couldn't do  that to Artemis and Paula. Especially since there was a non zero chance  doing it would cause her sister to try to hunt me down and might end  with me killing HER and that would break my best friend's heart, even if  she might understand if I was forced into it.

I  just shook my head as I stared at them from across the study. I knew  Artemis was going to be crushed but I had no way to help her. It's not  like we could just tell him, he was a fucking superhero. It was like  watching a car crash in slow motion. I wished I could stop it but there  was nothing I could do, even though I was watching it happen. My own  relationship was going to be getting more complicated too of course, now  that the junior justice bros had seen me with Zee and her dad was going  to find out.

Not  that I gave a fuck what he thought or would let him stop me from seeing  her. I could walk through fucking shadows and was trained by the best  ward cracker in the world. Plus he wouldn't stop heroing so it's not  like Zee couldn't just keep sneaking out. Now though we had other things  to worry about. Kent was looking much better than before after the  potion and was pacing back and forth worriedly paging through books. Zee  was sitting contritely in a nearby leather arm chair by the fire as he  walked back and forth in agitation.

He  whirled to face her. "How could you do this Zatanna? Invoking an  unknown shrine in a dangerous pocket dimension you weren't even supposed  to be in? You have no clue what the consequences of this transformation  might be! You don't know the source of this power or how it functions  or what it may do to you." He turned and glared at her. "And you even  dragged your friend into this with you from what you told me. A second  person changed by unknown magic. What you've done was reckless and  foolish and beneath you. Your father will be devastated, and your mother  would have been ashamed of your thoughtless actions."

Ok  that was enough of that shit. "Hey, shut the fuck up old man!" It took  me a second to realize I'd said that, and only then mostly because  everyone in the room was gaping at me, but I was too pissed to process  that I was cussing out the most skilled mortal magic user on earth. "She  said she was sorry. She's a scared teenage girl who came to her Uncle  for help and your first move is to tell her how ashamed her dead mom  would be? What kind of Uncle is that? That's despicable. If you don't  want to help her then let me know and I'll take her home right now but  I'm not sitting here and letting you abuse her in front of me because  you're supposedly older and wiser."

Zee  looked mortified. "Rand! That's not what's going on ok? Uncle Kent is  just worried about me. He thinks I made a stupid choice and doesn't want  me to do it again. He loves me and of course he's going to help me."  She stood up and paced over to me, putting her arms around me and  hugging me fiercely. "I love you for worrying, but he's not an enemy,  he's family." She pulled back and her eyes, electric blue so bright they  almost glowed even through her newly restored glamour, began to shine  with unshed tears. "Besides. He's right. My mom would have been ashamed  of me for being so reckless."

There  was a sigh from near the desk. "No. I wasn't right. Your...gentleman  friend...is correct." We both turned to see Nelson sagging against the  desk, looking tired and sad. "I'm an adult and you're a child and you  came to me for help. I was angry and worried but that doesn't change the  fact that I lashed out at you when I should have been helping. I am  sorry, dear girl. Your mother would be so proud of the woman you've  become." He fixed me with a level glare. "I daresay she may even approve  of the company you keep, though gods know your father won't. I just  can't imagine losing you like we lost her, like I lost Inza."

The  old mans eyes swam with unshed tears, and I felt like kind of a giant  asshole. "I've lost too much Zatanna, more than any one man should have  to bear. But not you. You're the daughter I never had, and no parent  should ever have to outlive his child. The thought of you  being...twisted into something else. Hollowed out and replaced by some  new creature, was more than I could take. But if you can forgive an old  man a fit of hurtful anger like that you're still the same girl I've  always known. As long as I know that everything will be ok." I suspect  he was going to say more but a flying fishnetted bundle of brunette  slammed into his chest, wrapping him in a tight hug.

Robin  cleared his throat. "As touching as this is, can we talk about the Lord  of Chaos that just tried to kill us, and the guy in the mask who  summoned a giant shadow fist to slap him around? Because no offense man  but I don't know you, and some random person having that kind of power  is not comforting. Not to mention I get the sneaking suspicion you  aren't exactly a superhero given the giant sword you're carrying and the  whole attempted decapitation thing. So care to explain to me why I  shouldn't be taking you in for attempted murder?"

Zee  bristled and looked like she was about to tear a strip out of him but I  held up a hand. "First of all, I did not ATTEMPT to decapitate anyone. I  successfully decapitated Klarion, it just didn't do anything. Second of  all you can't murder an immortal, which Klarion obviously was, so I  didn't attempt that either." That was a lie, I'd had no clue Klarion was  immortal and had totally tried murder that little asshole, mostly  because his aura was pure sadistic hatred and I was pretty sure given  the chance he would have killed us first, but Robin didn't know that.

I  raised a finger and pointed at him. "Third of all asshat, not only did I  save your life, you have no legitimate case against me for anything, so  you couldn't arrest me even if you were capable of doing so, which  spoiler alert, you definitely aren't. But hey, if you want to have a  dick measuring contest lets whip them out, I have nothing to be ashamed  of." Most of the room winced at the crudeness, with Miss Martian  flushing a deep crimson and Artemis looking disgusted while Zee gave me a  sly wink her Uncle thankfully didn't see.

Luckily  the old man decided to step in. Clearing his throat he drew our  attention to him. "Regardless of his profession, from you've said this  young man did us a great service tonight, and as he is not being  actively pursued by the authorities I think perhaps we can table this  issue until a more appropriate time. For now though, I am alive and your  mission to check on me is complete. I appreciate your visit but I do  need to tend to my niece and her friends, so you may all withdraw with  my thanks while I attempt to help them with their...problem."

His  tone made it clear that his polite advice wasn't actually either of  those things, and that he was kicking the junior heroes out of his tower  so he could work on Zee's problem. Of course I was pretty sure he  couldn't do anything. My powers changed reality, which meant Zee was a  heavenly punishment elf now and she couldn't be anything else. This  wasn't a transformation like he thought, it was a change in being. Still  I didn't hate the idea of the annoying pipsqueak who kept ogling my  girl getting lost so I kept my mouth shut, Kent could try to undo it if  he wanted, if he found a way I'd deal with stopping it then.

Robin  looked outraged. "But he tried to cut someone's head off! And I didn't  see it in the commotion but I'm pretty sure he emptied a bunch of  bullets into Klarion's head, and no way is he licensed to carry." Kent  just stared at him stonily and Robin snarled silently in anger. "Fine.  You're the senior hero here, and this is your house, so we do it your  way." He wheeled to point at me just like I'd done to him earlier. "But  if I see you around this is going to go a lot differently. You're  dangerous, and I don't like leaving you loose." He turned and stalked  out of the room, expecting his team to follow.

Which  they did, though not as quickly as he probably expected. Their  reactions to my fighting style hadn't been favorable mostly, but Aqualad  lowered his head in a nod of respect as he walked past a glowering  Artemis to help an exhausted but mostly healed Wally up. The redhead  gave Artemis a complicated look but seemed to shake it off, giving me a  stony glare as they left, clearly following his friend's lead. Miss  Martian gave us a sad smile and a wave goodbye before floating out the  door after the retreating heroes, and Superboy stalked out with a glare,  though I suspected that was just the only way he knew how to leave a  room.

Kent  sighed tiredly. "Well, that is going to get complicated for you all I  imagine. But that can wait for another day. Now, I need to help the  young lady over there as I've agreed to help Zatanna." He looked sharply  at my girlfriend "Which I WILL be doing because leaving you in a  transformed state because you think it's cool is not rational at all.   In the spirit of that help, and in light of your actions to aid me  against the Witch Boy, I propose I give a magical oath to prevent me  from revealing your identities and you can all take those silly masks  off. How does that sound?"